


Of Bedhead Kittens and Megane Aliens

by stirlingphoenix



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, Foot Fetish, Inktober for Writers, Kinktober, M/M, Romance, Sharing Clothes, a few of these drabbles will double as kinktober submissions whenever i feel like it, glasses tooru because yes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-08 13:26:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12255285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stirlingphoenix/pseuds/stirlingphoenix
Summary: A drabble/ficlet collection written for Writers' Inktober 2017, celebrating the relationship between Oikawa Tooru and Kuroo Tetsurou.Day 5 Summary: In which Oikawa’s inner sense of worthless creeps up on him, but Kuroo’s right there to pick up the pieces.





	1. Searching

**Author's Note:**

> Writers' Inktober Day 1: Searching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kuroo is an unapologetic thief and Oikawa is nice enough to let him get away with it.

Kuroo can't help but liken himself to a zombie as he drags himself down the hallway and into the laundry room, where he hears the ding the dryer makes whenever it's finished a cycle. The promise of warm comfy clothing keeps his sluggish body moving until he finally makes it to the machine; he's quick to open the door and rummage through the delightfully-scented clothes, looking for something to wear. Somehow, he had managed to go through his extensive wardrobe of sweatshirts and hoodies without taking the time to wash anything in the interim, leaving him completely sweaterless on this chilly day.

Until now, that is. At long last, Kuroo finally takes ahold of a familiar article of black clothing and quickly throws it on without bothering to check and see which one he'd chosen. At this point, he really doesn't care about the decal on hoodie, not when getting cozy for a nap is his top priority.

Now fully clothed, Kuroo wraps his arms around himself and nuzzles his nose against the inner collar of the hoodie, once again inhaling the smell of a freshly laundered sweater. Kuroo can't help but think something might off about this particular aroma, like there’s a small difference in the smell that he can't quite place, but the thought is dismissed as quickly as it had come. Before Kuroo can dwell on it too much, he's already trekking out to the living room, curling up on the sofa, and snuggling into the plush cushions, fully intent on dozing off.

To Kuroo’s supreme dismay, a good snooze just doesn’t seem to be in the cards for him. Just before he’s able to nod off, his ears perk up at the sound of his boyfriend, Oikawa, shuffling through the apartment, making enough noise to keep him awake and wonder what’s going on. With a supreme amount of effort, Kuroo reaches out and takes ahold of the back of the couch, pulling himself up and hooking his arm around to prop himself up while he tries to figure out what Oikawa’s doing.

Oikawa doesn’t seem to notice him at first, going into the hallway and coming back out after a few moments, still wandering around and looking more displeased than before.

“What're you looking for?” Kuroo asks, figuring that Oikawa must be on the search for something.

An exasperated sigh leaves Oikawa's lips as he pushes his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Kuroo blinks a couple of times, trying to break free of his exhaustion and focus in on Oikawa, who turns to him just as his vision begins to clear. A lazy, yet tender smile plays upon his lips when the pout Oikawa's sporting morphs into a much softer expression that warms him up even more than the hoodie he'd pulled out of the dryer a little while ago.

“I'm looking for my space hoodie, you know, the black one with the alien that’s colored in with a nebula pattern?” Oikawa's gaze drifts to the side as he taps his chin with two fingers. “I swear that it was drying in the load of laundry I just did, but it's not there.” He turns back to Kuroo. “Do you have any idea where it is?”

Kuroo can feel his eyes widening just a fraction as he glances downward, taking a good look at the design on the hoodie he's wearing. Sure enough, he sees the exact picture Oikawa just described to him. Unhooking his arm from the back of the couch, Kuroo slides down so that he’s completely hidden from Oikawa’s view. The smell he’d been unable to identify earlier once again fills his senses, and this time, he immediately recognizes the sweet aroma of Oikawa’s natural scent that clings to his clothing, even after washing. “No, haven’t seen it,” he mumbles before burying his nose into the hoodie, reveling in the essence that’s so purely Oikawa.

He knows how suspicious he’s being, and he’s not at all surprised when he hears the soft pitter-patter of Oikawa’s footsteps coming closer and walking around the couch until he’s standing right in front of him. Kuroo doesn’t even attempt to hide the design, he is well aware that he’s been caught red-handed.

“Ah ha!” Oikawa points an accusatory finger in his direction when his gaze lands on Kuroo’s chest. “Hoodie thief!”

“Nah-uh!” Kuroo shakes his head in denial, refusing to admit the small mix up, especially since he’s now certain Oikawa’s clothing is so much better than anything he owns. “I found it!”

“Okay, hoodie _finder_ ,” Oikawa snickers, clearly deciding to play along with him for the moment. “Thank you for finding my super cool space sweater,” he held his hands out, giving Kuroo an expectant look, “but I need it back now.”

“Yeah, okay,” his eyes fall shut and he lets out a soft yawn before curling up on himself, effectively turning away from Oikawa and nestling further into the couch before wrapping his arms around his waist, making it obvious that he has no real intention of giving up the hoodie.

After a few seconds of silence, Kuroo dares to open one eye and turns back just a bit, taking a peek at what whatever Oikawa might be doing. He expects Oikawa to be frowning down at him with the gears of revenge turning in his mind, figuring out how he’d get his hoodie back, and planning everything down to the very last detail.

But to Kuroo’s surprise, he doesn’t see any of that. Instead, he sees nothing but the well-known look of adoration lighting up those dark brown eyes Kuroo’s come to love so much. A hint of a smile graces Oikawa’s lips, and Kuroo can’t help but reciprocate. After turning back to Oikawa completely, he unwraps his arms from around his torso and holds them open to Oikawa.

“‘You can nap with me, if you want.”

Kuroo practically beams when Oikawa takes a step forward and climbs onto the couch with him, but instead of crawling on top of him or curling up next to him like Kuroo thought he would, Oikawa simply gives him a playful grin before taking ahold of the bottom hem of his hoodie and lifting it up, revealing Kuroo’s bare stomach to the cold air for a split second before diving into the small space that exists between Kuroo’s torso and the hoodie. Kuroo can’t suppress the small giggles that leave his lips as Oikawa’s fingertips graze against his ticklish abdomen, but he manages to keep relatively still while Oikawa continues to travel up through the hoodie until his head is at Kuroo’s chest. He pulls at the collar, widening it as far as he can until Oikawa’s disheveled hair pops through the top, with the rest of his head and his glasses that now sit at an odd angle on his nose following soon after. Kuroo can’t stop himself from reaching out to ruffle the soft hair that’s usually so neat and well kempt, messing up even more in the process.

“I’m gonna be so mad at you if this is permanently stretched out,” Oikawa grumbles, giving Kuroo a glare that holds no real malice or disdain, but doesn’t say anything about his hair, which Kuroo decides Oikawa’s giving him the benefit of the doubt on that one.

“No, you won’t,” Kuroo quips back easily, nuzzling Oikawa’s cheek. “The cuddle hoodie conquers all angry Toorus,” he declares with a triumphant smile plastered on his face as he reaches up to carefully remove Oikawa’s glasses and set them on the nearby coffee table before securing his arms around Oikawa and holding him close.

“Maybe,” Oikawa hums softly in a way that suggests he might have a counterpoint to Kuroo’s claim before placing a quick kiss on Kuroo’s cheek and resting his head on his chest. “Be sure to keep me warm, Tetsu,” he whispers, and only then can Kuroo hear how tired Oikawa really is.

“Always,” Kuroo mumbles, allowing exhaustion to once again come and claim him, only this time, he has Oikawa to accompany him on his journey into dreamland.


	2. Barefoot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Oikawa indulges in a certain kink that drives Kuroo absolutely wild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inktober for Writers: Day 2 - Barefoot 
> 
> This also doubles as an early submission for kinktober: Day 20 - Feet

His fingers just barely brush against the top of Kuroo’s foot – the touch is so subtle and effortless that if any passerby had been paying close enough attention to even notice such a small gesture, they would have thought nothing of it, easily dismissing it as an accident, and nothing more. 

But it’s not. Between Kuroo and himself, such gentle contact is anything but innocent – it’s an act of initiation. As small as it is, letting his fingertips lightly scratch against the overly sensitive skin of Kuroo’s foot is more than enough to let Kuroo know exactly what’s on his mind, and more often than not, Kuroo is only too eager to take him up on his offer. 

It’s not his own desire to cover Kuroo’s feet in an unusual amount of attention that really gets him going, it’s the fact that Kuroo enjoys receiving the tender care to his feet just as much as he loves giving it. Simply put, his ‘obsession’ wouldn’t be nearly as addictive if a few well-placed kisses and a slow, sensual lick to the underside of Kuroo’s big toe didn’t excite him as much as it did. 

If someone were to label Oikawa’s fascination with Kuroo’s feet as some sort of ‘foot fetish’, he wouldn’t exactly be able to refute their claim. The fact that he’s so drawn to such a peculiar part of Kuroo’s anatomy is more than enough for anyone to conclude that, but even though he can never find the right words to explain himself, he knows his odd sense of enchantment goes well beyond a simple fixation. It has to, especially when his unyielding desire to pepper Kuroo’s feet in soft kisses and litter the tender flesh with dark love bites until he’s turned Kuroo into a trembling mess of nerves has little to do with the actions themselves, and everything to do with the way Kuroo’s body responds to him.

To his delight, it doesn’t take long before Kuroo’s sensitive body is already quivering underneath him, with his fingers curling into the sheets in what Oikawa knows is a desperate attempt to keep himself together, but the desire that’s already flickering in his eyes confirms that he now has Kuroo right where he wants him. 

For a split second, he entertains the notion of cutting his ministrations short and skipping straight to the main event, but Oikawa can’t help but mentally scoff at such a ludicrous notion -- hearing Kuroo’s sweet voice as he begs for Oikawa’s attention is special kind of drug that he can never get enough of, and Kuroo won’t be satisfied unless Oikawa teases him to the brink of insanity, and drags every wanton moan and needy reaction from his body, one by one. 

And honestly, Oikawa wouldn’t have it any other way. 

At long last, he sets Kuroo’s foot back down on the bed with the utmost care, as if the limb is a cherished, yet delicate keepsake that could break into a thousand irreparable pieces if given even a hint of mistreatment. Again, their eyes meet, warm mocha staring down a rich mixture of hazel that burns with an insatiable lust that fuels the growing fire in the pit of his stomach. No words can describe just how much he yearns for Kuroo in that moment, and after placing one last kiss to Kuroo’s foot (finding a patch of skin that isn’t tinted a lovely shade of purple) he comes back up to finally capture Kuroo’s lips in a passionate kiss, promising a long, pleasurable night ahead for them both.


	3. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Oikawa is completely taken with Kuroo's smile, and lets him get away with just about anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inktober for Writers Day 3: Warmth

“C’mon, Tetsu!” Oikawa practically whines as he watches Kuroo scramble to prepare for their outing. “I’m so hungry that I’d leave without you if it wasn’t your turn to pay!” He declares, sporting a playful grin. Although he claims to be starving, he still hasn’t quite decided on where he wants to go yet. At this point, everything sounds delicious, and he’s certain something will strike his fancy when they get downtown, or at least he hopes so. It just wouldn’t do to starve from indecisiveness, however, starving because he must wait for Kuroo to get a move on seems likely.

“And go sans my delightful company?” Kuroo snickers as he zips up his jacket and wraps the handmade scarf his grandmother knitted him last Christmas around his neck. “Don't act like you wouldn't miss me.” 

Oikawa can't help but roll his eyes at that, but otherwise doesn't respond. He has a point after all, going without Kuroo and his mischievous antics that always seem to spice up their ventures in one way or another wouldn't be any fun – not that Oikawa is going to give Kuroo the satisfaction of saying that out loud. 

Even though Kuroo's clearly rushing for his sake, Oikawa notes the swift elegance Kuroo possesses as he dresses for the frigid weather – he has a certain kind of grace Oikawa struggles to describe, yet everything about such agile movement is so uniquely Kuroo, and Oikawa finds himself becoming more enamored with each passing day. 

“All right, ready to go!” Kuroo's voice brings him back to the situation at hand. True to his observant nature, Oikawa immediately spots something amiss about Kuroo’s attire, to which he lifts an eyebrow in Kuroo’s direction, giving him an expectant look.

“What?” Kuroo blinks, clearly oblivious as to why he’s earned such an expression.

Oikawa sighs, feigning exasperation. “Aren’t you missing something?”

Kuroo pauses for a second before patting his jacket pockets; Oikawa assumes he’s making sure he has his wallet, phone, and keys on hand. “Nope, got everything,” Kuroo answers after a bit, making it apparent that he has everything on his checklist. 

“Really?” Since it’s obvious Kuroo’s not about to realize it on his own, Oikawa makes a point to remove his gloved hands from his coat pockets, waving them at Kuroo just to get his point across. “You can’t think of anything you might be missing?”

If this was a cartoon, Oikawa swears he’d see a luminous light bulb appear over Kuroo’s head in that moment. 

“It’s fine,” Kuroo replies airily, waving off the realization like it’s nothing. “I don’t really need them.”

“No, your paws will freeze.” Even though he’s displeased with Kuroo’s apathetic nature when it comes to dressing properly for the harsh winter weather, he can’t help himself with the cute way in which he refers to Kuroo’s hands. “I don’t have time to deal with you catching a cold!” Of course, he makes it sound like a sick Kuroo would be nothing more than a nuisance to him, but that’s not the case at all. “Honestly, what happened to the pair I bought you last week?”

Kuroo doesn’t respond at first. He taps a finger to his chin in thought, and Oikawa is certain he can hear the cogs in that scheming mind of his turning, trying to recall where he might’ve placed the black pair of gloves Oikawa had been generous enough to buy for him. As a few seconds of silence creep by, Oikawa comes to the realization that Kuroo probably hasn’t seen them since the day they were gifted to him. He imagines they must be somewhere obscure in Kuroo’s apartment, unworn with the tags still intact, probably never to be seen again. 

“You’re so forgetful, Tetsu,” Oikawa chides, placing a hand on his hip and giving Kuroo a look that says exactly what he’s thinking without needing to say it. 

Kuroo knows him well enough to deduce the thoughts that are so clearly written on his expression, but with the pleased grin Kuroo gives him in return, Oikawa can tell that once again, his judgement has slid off Kuroo the same way baked goods slide off Teflon. 

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped.” Another sigh leaves his lips, adding to the ruse that he’s inconvenienced by Kuroo’s carelessness. Just as he’s done countless times before in this exact situation, he removes a glove from his right hand and gives it to Kuroo, who’s practically beaming as he takes it and slides it over his own right hand before holding his left one out to Oikawa.

“You’ll never learn if I keep doing this.” A faint smile graces his lips as he takes ahold of Kuroo’s proffered hand without hesitation, and just like that, they’re off, heading downtown to a restaurant Oikawa still hasn’t chosen. 

“That isn’t some sort of threat, is it?” Kuroo asks as they walk, looking aghast, as if he’s horrified Oikawa could ever be cruel enough to deny him handholding. 

“More of an observation, really.” His response is delivered in a flippant manner that suggests he could be persuaded to change his mind at any given moment, but he knows Kuroo won’t believe that. 

“Yay! ~” The subsequent grin playing upon Kuroo’s lips, while triumphant in its own right, holds a trace of something special that sends Oikawa’s heart aflutter. It’s a smile that’s bright and pure, unlike the usual devious smirk he wears, and its contagious nature has Oikawa smiling right back at him. Sometimes he’s amazed how the smallest of things, little inconsequent gestures he puts absolutely no thought into, always seem to make Kuroo so happy. He’s not sure how he manages to pull off such a feat on a regular basis, but he hopes that he never loses his touch. 

The natural warmth emanating from Kuroo makes it feel like Oikawa’s still wearing a glove on his right hand, but even so, Kuroo does his usual thing and pulls Oikawa closer to himself as they trek down the street, nonchalantly stuffing both his and Oikawa’s hands into his jacket pocket, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. Kuroo never offers him an explanation for his actions, but as silly as it is, Oikawa never has the heart to try and remove his hand from Kuroo’s pocket. 

They continue their short journey like that, and in the end, Oikawa ends up choosing the place that serves the best grilled mackerel, simply because he never wants to see Kuroo’s smile fade away.


	4. Compliment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kuroo finds out who the real pun master is in his and Oikawa’s relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Writers' Inktober Day 4: Compliment. 
> 
> Also, extremely bad puns ahead, and the intentional use of 'complement' rather than 'compliment'. The prompt is 'compliment' but when I thought about it, all I could think of was how to use 'complement', so this happened. XD.

Kuroo remembers the first time he realized he'd fallen in love with Oikawa like it was yesterday.

It was back in their college days. They'd been hanging out in their shared dorm doing homework together, a habit they had developed soon after they’d started dating. At that time, Kuroo had known that he liked Oikawa, in fact, he really, really, liked him, but Kuroo hadn’t had much of an opportunity to think beyond that. He was content to let their relationship run its course and allow for the feelings develop naturally, and Oikawa appeared to feel the same way.

After an hour into their homework session, Kuroo’s interest had started to wane, and inevitably, his eyes had started to wander around the room, looking at nothing in particular until his gaze settled upon Oikawa. Unlike Kuroo, he was still fully absorbed with his assignment and looked like he was struggling a bit, if the way in which he glared down at the paper – making Kuroo wonder if the questions had insulted him somehow – was any indication.

As cute as Kuroo found Oikawa’s pout to be, the look just didn’t suit him, and Kuroo had the sudden urge to rectify the situation. A playful grin spread across his face when he figured out exactly how to fix it.

“You better be careful with that negative energy you’re vibin’,” his smile grew when Oikawa looked up from his homework and over to him, “because I am _positively_ attracted to you.”

Kuroo was more than pleased with himself when Oikawa’s frown immediately morphed into the beginnings of a smirk. “Having an off day, Kuroo?” His voice was rhetorical, and he paused for a second before adding: “because your puns are more derivative than our calculus homework.”

“Heh.” Kuroo wasn’t even the least bit fazed by the shot Oikawa had taken, on the contrary, he was elated that Oikawa decided to play along with him for once. “Speaking of derivatives, I’m having trouble with question seven. I’m starting to think I’ll have to find the antiderivative of the function and substitute _you_ in for everything.”

Not the best recovery, but problems requiring u-substitutions really were all over his worksheet, and it was the best he could do while bogged down with what Kuroo had to admit, was a rather repetitive and convoluted assignment.

Oikawa simply waved him off. “Oh, I’m already passed that, and I’m working on the geometry section now.” He hummed quietly as he tapped a finger to his chin in thought. “Refresh my memory please, what do you call two angles whose sum equals ninety degrees?”

“Complementary.” Kuroo couldn’t help but raise a questioning eyebrow in Oikawa’s direction. He knew for a fact there wasn’t anything about geometry in their calculus homework, and as unlikely as the notion was, he had to wonder if Oikawa had gotten the wrong assignment somehow.

“That’s it!” Oikawa snapped his fingers, dismissing the look Kuroo gave him, and making him believe Oikawa had forgotten something like that, which Kuroo also found improbable.

Without warning, Oikawa’s expression changed, it became softer, gentler, as if gazing at someone he was incredible fond of. On sheer instinct, Kuroo wanted to look and see if anyone was behind him, unable to shake the feeling that Oikawa was staring through him. He couldn't look away however, his eyes remained transfixed on Oikawa.

“You’re my complementary angle, Kuroo,” Oikawa said in a voice that was just as gracious as his smile.

Kuroo blinked, waiting for Oikawa to elaborate. When it became apparent that he was not going to give him an explanation, Kuroo tried to piece everything together, figuring he’d missed something. Surely Oikawa meant for there to be some sort of joke, but try as he might, he just wasn’t getting it.

“Howdya figure?” He asked after a moment of silence, feeling rather embarrassed for not picking up on the quip like he should have.

Fortunately, Oikawa didn’t seem to mind. “Because no matter how you add us together, it’s always _right_.” A small smirk played upon his lips, but the delivery was smooth and airy, as if it was only natural for him to give such a response.

For the first time in his life, Kuroo was left speechless and unable to deliver any sort of comeback. He just stared at Oikawa for the longest time, desperately trying to process what Oikawa had just said. If it weren’t for the smug look Oikawa gave him that all but screamed his victory, Kuroo might not have even believed it.

But there he was, staring right back at him with an air of confidence that left Kuroo completely star-struck. In that exact moment, the affections for Oikawa that had been slowly, yet steadily brewing within him over the course of the semester skyrocketed out of control, throwing him head over heels in love, and Kuroo knew there would be no going back.

To his complete chagrin, his entire body decided to betray him, cheeks turning a highly noticeable shade of pink as his heart started to beat in such an erratic manner that Kuroo wasn’t sure he’d ever calm down. To make matters even worse, he could feel the palms of his hands become clammy with sweat, accentuating the blushy mess Oikawa had so easily turned him into.

He was so embarrassed, not only because he hadn’t seen it coming, but also because he couldn’t find the perfect way to top Oikawa’s line; by some miracle, Oikawa seemed to understand the storm of emotions causing havoc within him. Rather than giving him a snide remark about being tongue-tied, Oikawa abandoned his calculus in favor of being closer to Kuroo, moving in such a suave, elegant manner that Kuroo, in his flustered state, was supremely jealous of. He offered no resistance when Oikawa reached out and cupped his cheeks, giving him a knowing look before closing the gap between them and initiating a kiss that to this very day, gives Kuroo a tingly feeling whenever he thinks about it.

Now, Kuroo has long since accepted the fact that Oikawa is his better half in every way, especially with the superior word play that still makes him gush as much as it did back then.


	5. Fallen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Oikawa’s inner sense of worthless creeps up on him, but Kuroo’s right there to pick up the pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inktober for Writers: Day 5 - Fallen.

Sometimes Oikawa finds it difficult to pick himself back up after a fall. Not in a literal sense, but every once in a while, he gets slammed with the negative and vile thoughts he works so hard to keep under wraps. When this happens, he can't shake the notion that everything he's done in his life, all the sweat, tears, and sheer effort he's put into achieving every goal, is all for nothing. It doesn’t matter how hard he tries, he’ll never be good enough. There will always be someone far more talented than he is, someone whose natural abilities exceed the skills he’s honed and perfected to the best of his capabilities, and it makes him sick. Those feelings always seem to compound on him, causing him to feel small, insignificant, and utterly worthless. 

When this happens, he usually takes off in some unknown direction, walking aimlessly until his tired feet just won’t carry him any longer. His endpoint is never the same, but this time he’s fortunate enough to end up at the park, where there are plenty of benches for him to rest. He’ll continue on, or go back later, he hasn’t really decided yet. The notion that he’s forgotten his phone crosses his mind, but he can’t bring himself to care. No one would bother looking for him anyway — opening his phone to a screen without at least one message would only drag him down more at this point. 

Just when he thinks that all hope is lost, he feels someone stepping into his personal space. He looks up, only to see a hand reaching out to him, offering to make everything right again. All Oikawa has to do is take it. 

He really shouldn’t be surprised to see Kuroo standing over him, waiting patiently for him to grab ahold of his hand. This exact scenario has happened more times than he cares to count, but the initial shock accompanying the realization that Kuroo’s come for him once again never wears off. 

As always, Oikawa reaches out, but then stops midway. He can’t help but hesitate for the briefest of seconds, wondering if he deserves to be pulled out of this. With the claws of insecurity burrowed within him, he is certain he’s not good enough for anything, and especially not Kuroo’s presence. 

But before Oikawa can withdraw his hand, Kuroo reaches out to take ahold of it, and uses his grip to pull him up into a standing position. 

“How did you know where to find me?” The question leaves his mouth before he can even think to ask. 

“My Tooru senses were tingling,” Kuroo declares without missing a beat, wearing a bright, triumphal grin. 

Kuroo’s smile is so contagious that despite the sense of worthlessness that ran rampant in his mind just before Kuroo found him, he can feel the corners of his mouth turn upwards in a small smile. “Don’t be lame.” He tries to wave off Kuroo's corny behavior. 

“I followed the milk bread crumb trail?” Kuroo tries again, the inquiry on his voice makes him sound less confident than before, but he's still smiling. Oikawa will always be grateful with how hard Kuroo tries to brighten his day. 

“Tetsu.” As fond as he is of Kuroo's sense of humor, sometimes Oikawa needs Kuroo's support without the jokes. 

“Okay, okay,” Kuroo puts his hands up, as if he’s decided to come clean and admit to the truth. “I went about it the old fashion way and just started looking for you.”

Oikawa had already known this, yet he wanted to hear Kuroo say it without any teasing. Now that he’s really looking at Kuroo, he can see how exhausted Kuroo is, which means that he’d probably been searching for him all day. 

“I didn’t ask you to.” Oikawa’s elated to have someone like Kuroo, who’s always ready to come after him, he really is. But at the same time, he doesn't think he deserves this, so he always puts on an act that suggests he's annoyed Kuroo would put forth the effort on his own accord. 

As always, Kuroo offers him a softer, more genuine smile that’s reserved only for him, and Oikawa knows his ruse has been seen through. 

“Nah, but I always will.” Even without his whimsy, Kuroo is as smooth as ever. He doesn't explain more than that, and Oikawa doesn’t ask. He lets Kuroo take his hand again and give it a small squeeze before bringing it to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on the knuckles. 

“You hungry?” 

“No.” His answer is automatic and said without thinking about it. He doesn't remember the last time he's eaten, but that hardly matters. Now that he's been found, he just wants to go home, curl up in a warm blanket, and more importantly, stop burdening Kuroo with his problems. It's not fair to him, and Oikawa is just knows that one of these days, Kuroo's going to get fed up and leave him for good, which is something Oikawa doesn't know if he'll be able to handle. He'd much rather spare Kuroo some grief when he can, so maybe Kuroo won't get burnt out, at least not for a little while longer. 

“Hey.” As if Kuroo knows exactly what's going on in his treacherous mind, he lets go of his hand in favor of cupping his cheeks, forcing him to meet his gaze. Oikawa instinctively wants to pull away, but he can't move, not when those gorgeous hazel eyes have him trapped.

“I love you.” 

Those three little words are so simple, but they mean the world to Oikawa. He can’t understand how Kuroo manages to brighten his entire world so easily, but when Kuroo's voice is so earnest and his eyes so honest and passionate, Oikawa knows it's the truth. 

“I love you too.” His voice is barely above a whisper, but with the way Kuroo starts beaming at him like a kid on Christmas, Oikawa knows he heard. 

As if on cue, Oikawa's stomach starts grumbling, effectively betraying his earlier words and making his hunger known to both Kuroo and himself. 

“So, about food,” Kuroo snickers as he reaches down to give Oikawa’s stomach a light pat. “I'll buy you some milk bread,” he offers before sliding his hand into Oikawa's. 

“I don't want any.” There's no way Kuroo would ever believe such a lie, but he can't help but be obstinate for a moment longer. 

“Oh?” Kuroo raises a questioning brow. “Not even a little?”

“Hmm,” he hums a bit, as if he needs to think about it. “Maybe just a nibble.” Returning Kuroo's smile, he leans in to press a gentle kiss to Kuroo's cheek. 

The resulting grin on Kuroo's face makes his heart skip a beat, and once again, Oikawa's reminded of why he's so madly in love with Kuroo. “Maybe two nibbles?” He asks before giving Oikawa two kisses on his cheek.

“Maybe three,” Oikawa replies before returning Kuroo's gesture with three more kisses and leading them in the direction of the nearest bakery.

Soon enough, he finds himself smiling so much that his jaw hurts, but the miniscule pain is nothing when he feels like the storm cloud that's been hanging over him has finally moved on, giving way to the brilliant ray of sunlight that manifests itself in the form of the sly ruffian with perpetual bedhead Oikawa loves with every fiber of his being. He wants to thank Kuroo for sticking with him, but every time he tries, Kuroo leans over and kisses him before he has the chance to say anything, as if he’s telling him in his own special way that he needn’t explain a word, simply because he already knows. 

Even now, crippling self-doubt still lingers at the edge of his psyche, but Oikawa doesn’t let it drag him down any further. He’s a strong individual, he’s gotten through the low points before, and he’ll do it again. Only now, he has Kuroo to help him pull through, and the fact that he has Kuroo at all makes him think that maybe, just maybe, he is good enough.


End file.
